Life As We Know It
by drdavidfan
Summary: Set in 2000, Alex had kept something hidden from hers and David's past and it is about to come out. An alternate direction from a 1999 storyline. Shorter story
1. Chapter 1

She sat at her desk going over a stack of papers from the research she and David had been doing when the phone rang. "Andrassy Foundation, Dr. Alexandra Marick speaking." She answered.

"This is Maria Wesly from children and youth services London, England. I need to ask you a few questions."

"May I ask what this is concerning?" Alex asked unsure of what was going on.

"We have a child who's birth certificate had your name on it."

"Okay, I've delivered a few children while I was a resident over there a few years back. Is there a problem?" Alex asked, wanting to know who or what this was about.

"We have a little girl who is entering kindergarten, but the birth certificate couldn't be found, and the grandparents had no idea there was a father involved. When we checked with the hospital she was born at, their records showed that there was indeed a father." As she listened to the woman explain, she felt her stomach drop out. She never thought anyone would find out what she had done. "A David Hayward is listed. Do you know why there isn't one listed on the copy the grandparents have?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that. She knew why, but she had filled out the birth certificate herself, she had left the father part blank. She had done all of this to protect a little girl, and in memory of her friend. "It's been a while, I'll try and remember. What was the name of the mother?" She said feigning innocence.

"Siobhan Ewing. Birth was on July 20th, 1994. Do you recall this patient Ms. Marick?" The lady asked, hoping Alex had the answer to her question.

"Yes I do. It was one of the sadder cases. Ms. Ewing came into the ER, she had overdosed on narcotics. We did everything we could for her but she didn't make it. Though we were able to save the child." _How did they get David's name._ She thought to herself. "She never mentioned a father and a friend who came in to identify her told us the guy was a fling and he left, never thought twice about being a father. I have no idea how a name got onto the hospital records."

"I see. That is sad. So you don't know of this David Hayward or how his name ended up in the hospital records?"

"No I have no idea, I'm sorry. I only remember that the child was given to the grandparents who I believe had agreed to raise her." She finished.

"Yes, that's what I have here. The grandparents had enrolled the child in school for this semester. She wasn't in the system though and it raised a red flag. All children in the school system must have a birth certificate. We don't want any children to get lost in the shuffle. If you remember anything, could you give us a call? Or if we have any more questions may we call you?" The woman asked.

"Sure, anything I can do to help." Alex said with a fake smile plastered across her face, even though the lady couldn't see through the phone.

"Thank you for your time Ms. Marick. Good day." The lady said sweetly before hanging up.

It wasn't a minute after she hung up the phone when David walked in the office door, dragging behind him Erica Kane. "Sorry Alex I didn't know you were in here."

"I was just leaving." She said as she quickly gathered her papers and headed out the door.

"Just as friendly as usual." Erica said as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about Alex. She'll be out of here soon. It's obvious that she can't even take sharing office space with me."

"What's obvious is us David. If we don't keep a lower profile around here people are going to know something is up with us. People being Alex Marick."

"Alex doesn't even pay attention to us, she hates me too much. And besides we already came out to the world. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't know by now." He laughed.

"David, I understand that people know, I just rather we not put it out there. I don't want to have to read so many sleazy stories in the Exposer. There enough already." She told him, looking through the slim window on the office door.

"Erica, we're safe in here. I promise. Now what did we come in here for? Oh that's right." He said as he grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, her back against his chest as he kissed her neck and sucked gently on her earlobe.

"David." She said trying to pull forward, but she always melted into his touch. "David, please. Let's go somewhere, more private." She said breathily. He didn't say anything but he agreed, quickly dragging her out the way they just came in.

 _How did David's name get on the birth certificate?_ She thought to herself. No one had even know about him and she never mentioned his name to anyone but the board of Ethics that she had reported him to. Even that was after the fact. She had only trusted one colleague to help her get the child to the grandparents. _No one else knew_. Hopefully he didn't know about the little girl. _He couldn't, could he? If he did, why would he have left her with her grandparents?_ Either David had no idea or really never wanted that child to begin with. She was going to make sure that if he didn't know he wasn't going to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hello, this is Dr. Alexandra Marick, calling from Pine Valley Hospital, Pennsylvania, US. Is this a Charlotte Ewing?"

"Yes, may I ask what this is about?" Answered the older lady on the other end of the phone.

"I've recently been contacted by children and youth services in England, I believe regarding you're granddaughter."

"There seems to be an issue with her birth certificate for entering primary school. Ms. Wesly said she would get back to me." The lady confirmed.

"Do you happen to remember me? I know it was five years ago, but I'm the one who contacted you after your granddaughter's birth."

"What did you say your name was again?" The women asked, trying to put a face to the name.

"Dr. Alexandra Marick, but I would have gone by Devane back then, I wasn't married yet."

"Hmmm…Alex Devane. I do recall that name. You were Siohban's best friend?" She asked trying to remember the time she had since tried to forget.

"Yes, we were very close. That's the reason that I had known to contact you. I was her roommate. But back to the reason I called. There seems to be a man listed as the father on the hospital record but on the copy there wasn't. I know for a fact that there wasn't one listed on the hospital copy that day either."

"Do you know how or why this man was listed?" The older lady asked.

"I do know the man that was listed, but I don't know why his name was on the birth certificate. He was a doctor at the hospital, but Siohban and I never had any interactions with the man. It had to be a mistake by someone in the records department. I signed that birth certificate and there wasn't fathers name listed then."

"So you're saying this is a complete mix up? That this Hayward, was a colleague and couldn't be Emily's father?"

"Yes that's exactly what I'm saying. Although I had only heard about the man she told me was Emily's father, Siohban told me what he was like. Trust me when I say this, Emily doesn't deserve to know him. He was a terrible man, and I believe that he is half of the reason my best friend took her life. If I ever come across him again, I'll make him pay." Even though half of what she had just told the woman was a lie, she absolutely felt this was about David Hayward. She tried to get Joe and the board to oust him, but to no avail. She would make sure he never found out about his daughter. He didn't deserve her. Not after what he did to Siohban. And she wasn't going to let him ruin this innocent child's life too.

He knocked on the front door and waited. After a minute or so, he tried the door. It was open and he let himself inside.

"David?" She said surprised to find him in her house. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I would ask you to breakfast." He said as he watched her put her earrings in.

"I'm sorry, but I have plans this morning. I wish you would have called." She said walking through the living room to get her purse on the table.

"I thought you had a clear schedule this morning? At least that's what Val told me when I called the office."

"Now you're checking up on me?" She asked, a hint of anger in her tone.

"Well I was going to stop there but I decided to call first. I thought it would be nice to spend the morning with you. I guess I was wrong."

"I'm sorry David, its just Bianca is flying in today. I wanted to go get some things for her before I pick her up. And now I'm running late." She finished as she checked her watch.

"Bianca's coming home? That's great, why don't I go with you?"

"Oh no David. I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, she hardly knows you."

"What do you mean she hardly knows me? I was her doctor once. And she knows we're dating. I mean you even called her to tell her before she read it in the papers."

"I know, but I just don't think we should just throw her into the middle of this. She's just lost her father. I just want her to come back to some sort of normal."

"Erica, having you as her mother, being Erica Kane's daughter is nothing close to normal. For god's sake I'm not asking to sleep over."

"David, if you can't understand me wanting to make my daughter feel at home. To make her transition easier than I don't think I want to be with you."

"Erica, what the hell? I thought I was just being nice. Just offering to spend time with you. And now, now you don't want to be with me? I just don't get you."

"Please David, I have to go. We'll talk later, okay. Just let yourself out." She said as she quickly left pulling the door behind her and leaving him standing in the living room, unsure that anything he had just witnessed was real.

The door opened again, and he was about to mouth off to her. Tell her she can't just dismiss him like that but it wasn't Erica that walked through the door.


End file.
